If you are pursuing your masters or doctoral degree in education, you most likely had a special interest picked out before you went to your first class. By this time, you should have developed a specialty within that special interest. That topic is what you will write your education thesis on.
Whether you have chosen aesthetic, comparative, computer applications, counseling or psychology, early childhood, administration, or particular subject matter (i.e. mathematics, language arts, science, etc), you will have to narrow the subject further to find a suitable topic which can be fully explored within 30-40 pages.
Some good education thesis topics include:
Take one of the above thesis topics or your specialty of choice and apply a further limitation on the subject to come up with a compelling question for your education thesis. Here are some examples:
For example, you might choose a thesis question that uses statistics to show the benefits of multi-age teaching in South Africa. Maybe a particular theory or two behind human resource development in education administration interests you. Whatever you choose, be sure of two things. First, that your thesis question is a viable and interesting question that needs answering. If your education thesis is based on a question that is irrelevant or has already been researched, then you are wasting your time.
Second, be sure that you are interested in what you have chosen. Your education thesis topic in some cases can be the basis for your career. If you choose to go further in research, your education thesis will certainly follow you. If your goals lie in another area of education, with a little bit of creativity, you may use your education thesis to benefit your career.
If, for example, you are interested in education policy, choose a thesis question that discusses a law or institution in the region of the country where you are interested in settling. Conduct interviews, create surveys, run laboratory studies or observe classrooms – but whatever you do, use it to make contacts in your field. Even if you choose to look for a job in another part of the country (or world) after graduation, these letters of reference will prove invaluable in the small world that is education policy making.
When you have decided upon a topic, clear it with your advisor before proceeding. Create a thorough proposal or prospectus that is 3 to 5 pages in length and leaves no doubt that you have done your homework. You want to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about and that your education thesis question is relevant to advancing the field. Even if your primary purpose is to advance your career, to the advising committee, your primary purpose should appear to be the advancement of the education system in general.